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Columnists

ANDY PITZER: “Look Mom! No iPhone!”

A very interesting visually recorded interview showed up on my feed the other night. In 1966, several British adolescents were interviewed about their vision of the future (circa year...

FRED FIRST: There And Back Again

RECAP: I would be able to visit southwest Virginia again–home for almost 40 years, and...

SCOT BELLAVIA: Am I Proud to Be an American?

How proud are you to be an American? I posted that question on Facebook a few...

BOB BROWN: “Portraits of the Human Person”

On the night of June 21, 2025, President Donald Trump said all seven B2 Bombers...

BECKY MAUPIN: The After Bedtime Search

Picture this: You manage to get everyone fed and the dinner aftermath cleaned up. Then...

Preacher’s Corner: Of Oaks and Kudzu

The driveway is long and straight.  Stretching out from it are verdant lawns immaculately manicured.  At the drive’s far end rises a structure to...

Drowning My Cancer Fears in Cupcakes

Certain things strike fear into our hearts; one of mine is when I hear the mention of pancreatic cancer. I feel a little...

Sustaining the Power of Language for Change

New words or phrases we hear clearly. They gain our attention, rising in the radar of common language and conversation. Again and again on...

Chickity-Doo-Dah, Chickity-Ay…

No, I haven't lost my mind. This weekend I bought a 40 lb. bag of “Chickity Doo Doo” organic fertilizer from Northwest Hardware on...

The Bittersweet Day

Some weeks ago, we set ‘Big Boy’, our rescued g-hog, free. The time had come. When g-hogs are ready to leave you, they display...

Medical Malpractice—an Unaddressed Problem in Health Care Reform

In a recent column about the causes of the health care crisis I mentioned that one player has been overlooked:  the consumer.  As congressmen...